Humphrey Fellow alum heads Hope Afresh Foundation Taraba (Nigeria)

The Hope Afresh Foundation Taraba is a Non-Governmental Organization of the wife of the Executive Governor of Taraba State, Barr. Anna Darius Ishaku started on 7th July 2016 with the mission of rendering lasting and quality empowerment that will restore the hope of Tarabans.

Its vision is to become a global key player in providing humanitarian services, while its core value is to rekindle the hope of Tarabans through meaningful and life-sustaining programs.

The Foundation has five units through which it carries out its operations. The sections include Administration, Project, Protocol, Press and the ICT.

Anna Ishaku was a 2006-2007 Hubert H. Humphrey International Fellow (Nigeria) at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, University of Minnesota. She has a bachelor’s degree in law. She started in private law practice, and worked with the Kaduna state government for more than 30 years, serving as the director of public prosecutions. She was in 2006 the solicitor general of the state and director of civil litigation. While at the Humphrey School, she did a professional affiliation with Hamline University Mediation Center for Dispute Resolution.

From her official biography:

Barrister (Mrs.) Anna Mbasughun Darius Ishaku, wife of the Taraba State Governor was born on the 24th of August, 1957. She hails from Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue State and is married with 5 children.

Barr. Anna Ishaku began her educational pursuit at St. Bartholomew’s Primary School, Wusasa, Zaria from 1964-1969; where she proceeded to Girls High School Gindiri between 1969-1973. She thereafter enrolled into the School of Basic Studies, ABU-Zaria between 1975-1976 and into the Faculty of Law of the same institution in 1976 where she graduated with Law Degree in 1979. She further attended Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1979 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1980.

She started her career in the National Youth Service as Legal Aid Council in Kano after which she joined the Private firm of Sam Tsumba and Company in Makurdi, where she was engaged in private practice until 1985 when she left to join her husband in Kaduna.

She was employed in the Ministry of Justice Kaduna State, as a Senior State Counsel in 1986 and rose to the ranks of Assistant Director, then Acting Director Public Prosecutions where she was appointed the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry in 1997, a position she held until 2002 when she left to join the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice as Chief Registrar. Barr. Anna Ishaku was one time Chairperson and is also a life member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers, (FIDA). She was one time Treasurer, Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Kaduna Branch. She was a Member, African Network for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, (ANPCAN), Kaduna Branch and Legal Adviser to the Association of the Physically